Garment hanger



March'14, 1950 LA TRELLE B. GLAssMEYER 2,500,817

GARMENT HANGER Filed March 11, 1948 l 36 3/ 36 28, /2 *j TV35 4f ab 3 33 l 40 lilln I n- 34 Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a garment hanger, and more particularly to an adjustable garment hanger.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a hanger which may be adjusted to accommodate garments of various sizes.

Another object is to provide an adjustable hanger which may be readily disassembled for shipping purposes, the component parts thereof occupying a relatively small space.

A further object is to provide a garment hanger having coat and trouser supporting portions of substantial thickness, thereby to maintain the supported garments in well-tailored condition.

Still another object is to provide a garment hanger which may be fabricated by means of a simple manufacturing process, such as molding or the like, using a non-corrosive and easily washable material, for example, a thermoplastic composition.

These and other objects and advantages are attained by the means described herein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational View of the hanger, shown in one adjusted position.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the hanger, showing its various parts in elevation.

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged cross-sectional views, taken on lines 4-4 and 5 5, respectivelyy of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken on line --6 of Fig. 2.

The common wire garment hanger and other similar hangers, although extensively used, have objectionable limitations. For instance, a garment having extra wide shoulders will not hang to the best advantage on a hanger of standard dimensions, the shoulders being caused to droop or bulge, or otherwise to become misshapen and lose the desired well-tailored appearance. Extra heavy garments suspended from a wire hanger or one of frail construction will cause the hanger to become distorted, which in turn causes the garment to hang out of its normal shape. The

trouser supporting portion of many hangers is of thin construction, thereby electing a deep and unsightly crease transversely of the legs of trousers supported thereon.

The foregoing and other objectionable limitations have been overcome by the device of the present invention, as will presently be shown. The exempliiied hanger is preferably fabricated from a light, durable, inexpensive material, such as a plastic composition, although aluminum, magnesium, or other metals may be used.

The extensible parts of the hanger may be adjusted to accommodate various sizes of garments, so that extra large sized coats or the like will hang in their normal tailored form, thereby to maintain the original linesof the garment. Because of the sturdy construction of the hanger, extra heavy garments supported vthereon will not cause the hanger to become distorted. Trousers supported on the horizontal trouser suspending portion will not become transversely creased because of the extra thickness of said horizontal portion.

The preferred embodiment of the hanger, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises four main parts, a support member 9, two extensible angle members I0 and I2, substantially V-shapedVand a connecting bar I3. The support member 9, which may include integral suspension means, such as a hook I4, is provided with a pair of downwardly diverging legs I5 and I6, the angle formed by said legs being substantially the same as the angle of a garment shoulder.

The diverging legs I 5 and I6 may befbifurcated for substantially their entire length to provide each leg with a pair of elongated tines I8 and I9 (cross-sectioned in Fig. 5) in spaced parallelism. The tines I8 and I9 are adapted to slidably engage or telescope into the longitudinal grooves 20 and ZI providedon vopposed faces of the oblique arms 22 and 23 of the angle members I0 and I2, respectively.

The connecting bar I3 is also bifurcated at opposite ends thereby providing elongated horizontal tines 26 and 2l in spaced parallelism, these tines being of substantially the same length as the tines I8 and I9 on the support member 9.

The horizontal tines 26 and 21 -are adapted to slidably engage or telescope into cooperating grooves 28 and 29 provided on opposed` faces of the horizontal arms 30 and 3| of the angle members I0 and I2, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4.

The grooved portions of the angle members I0 and I2 are substantially I-shaped in cross-section, as illustrated in the various sectional drawings. As shown therein, the various grooves in the angle members I0 and I2 are slightly larger than the cooperating tines in cross section, in order to permit free sliding movement therebetween.

By shifting the angle members I0 and I2 toward or away from each other simultaneously, any desired adjustment in the width of the hanger may be obtained, within the structural limits of the 3 hanger. The hanger may be held in any extended position by means of pins 35 projected through suitable apertures provided in parts of the hanger.

As shown in Fig. 3, the webs 32 of the horizontal arms and 3! are provided with a series of spaced transverse apertures 33, which may be selectively aligned with a similar aperture 34 provided4 at each terminus of the connecting bar I3. A key orpin 35 may be projected through aligned apertures '33 and 34 for maintaining the hanger in any selectively extended position as delineated in Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to preclude spreading of thetines l8-l9 and 26-21 and thereby causing possible displacement from their cooperating grooves when the hanger is in fullyv extended, position, suitable clips 36 may be fixed to said tines adjacenttheir outer termini. As shown in Figs'. 4 and 6, these clips may be substantially U-shaped in cross section, each leg 3B" thereof being cemented` or otherwise fixed to an outer face of the tines.. The clips fareof' sufficient depth to provide av channel 39. between the lower faces of the tinesand saidf clips, thereby to permit passage therethrough; ofthelower sections of the angle members, arm 22;-23 and30f-3'l during adjustment operations.

Ira rigid material; is used for fabricating the hangen. the clips 33 may not be required. for maintaining each set of tines infixed parallelism. Ifv the hanger is'fabricatedzof, a resilient material, however, clipsr 36 may be desirable.

The apices 40 of the angle members I0 and I2 are preferably, rounded,` as shown,l in ordery to conform to the shoulder contours of a garment, and thebight` of each angle memberk may be provided'with a reinforcingI web 4|.

The solid medianv portion 42'of the connecting bar i3` may be of?K enlarged thickness, as shown in Figs'. l andY 3said thickness being substantially4 thatoi the horizontal arms 3l)l andy 3|, in order to provide a flush` apearance when the hanger is in its-fully'contracted position.

The; corners ofthe coatsupporting sections 45 and, the4 trouser: supporting. Section` 46.- of. the hanger may be rounded, as shown atv 48 in Fig. 5, thereby` to preclude undue creasing of, garments; suspended thereon.

For: shipping on storage, the hangery may be disassembled, asshofwn in Fig. 3, in which condtionit--occupies a; relatively.` small space.v This is of great advantage in reducing` storage and shipping-v costs.v A simple, inexpensive` process,

as moldingmay be employed in manufacturing thefhangen Because olitsvsturdy construction,; the hangerl of( the present-invention willysupportfone, or more garments of extraheavy Weight-without' danger of distortion tothe; hanger orA thegarments..

Itis: to be` understood',l ofcourse, vthat various strnaturaly changesand. medicationsI may be made-within the scope ofthe appended claims, without departing from the.- spirit oftheinvention, t will be appreciated` tha-tf the keys or pins'f35imaybe5simply the form ofprojeo,

tionsV on-thefendsof` leaspringsattached at ornear the clips 3E; toenter the aligned apertures;

33 andli; or iidesired,;. other types of retaining-means-may'be'employedfor the purpose vof hanger and to the heads of the pins. Other forms of retainers will at once suggest themselves to those who are skilled in the art of mechanics.

I claim:

1. In an extensible garment hanger, the combination of a support member having a pair of downwardly diverging arms, means for suspending said support member, each of said arms being bifurcated, a pair of substantially V-shaped portions, each oi1 the arms of each v-shaped portion having an end section of I-shaped crosssection, an arm of each V-shaped portion being engageable Afor lengthwise sliding with an arm of the support member, a substantially straight connecting bar, said connecting bar having a medianportion and opposite bifurcated arms engageable. for lengthwise sliding with the other arms of the V-shaped portions, and means for adjustably holding said support member, V- shaped portions, and connecting bar in assembled relation.

2.- in an extensible garment hanger, the combination of a support member having a pair of downwardly diverging arms, means for suspending said support member, each of said arms being bifurcated, a pair. of substantially V-shaped portions, each ofy the arms of each Vi-shaped portionhaving an end'section of I-shaped cross-- section, an'arm of'eachA Vi-shaped portion being engageable for lengthwise.'` sliding with an arm of. thesuport member, a substantially'straight connecting bar, said connecting bar having a median portion and-opposite bifurcated arms engageable for lengthwise sliding with the other arms or the V-shaped portions, andl U-shaped clips, about each bifurcated arm to prevent spreading of the biiurcated arms.

3. lEn an extensible garmenthanger, the combination of a support member. having a pair oi downwardly diverging arms, means for suspending saidsupport member, a pair of substantially v -shapedl' portions, an. arm of each V-shaped portion being engageable for lengthwise sliding with an arm of the supp-ort member, the other arm off each V-shaped portion-having a plurality of longitudinally spaced'transverse bores across an end section, a substantially straight connecting bar, said connecting bar having a median portion and opposite armslengageabl'e for length- Wisessliding the transversely bored arms of the V-shapedi portions, each of thev arms of said connecting bar containing a transverse bore adjacent a free end'of the arm, each of said bores being registrable with bores across the end section oira.` V-shaped portion, and a pair ofkeys slideable through said bores to hold the hanger in. assembled relation.

v4l; In anA extensible garment hanger, the combination. of a support member having a pair of downwardly'diverging arms, means for suspendi-n-gfsaid support member, each of said arms being biiurcated, a pair of substantially V-shaped'portions, each of the arms of each V-shaped portion having` an end section oi AI-shaped cross-section, an arm of' each V-shaped portion being engageable for lengthwise sliding with an arm of the support'member, the other arm of each V-shaped portion having a-plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse bores acrossl the central member of the I-shaped end section, a substantially straight connecting bar, said connecting bar having a median portion and. opposite bifurcated arms engageable for lengthwise-sliding with the transversely-.boredarms of the V-shaped portions, each of; the armsfof said connecting bar containing' aing said support member, a pair of substantially V-shaped side portions each having an arm engaged for sliding lengthwise along one of the arms of the support member, the other arms of the V-shaped portions extending in aligned relation, a substantially straight connecting bar having opposed arms engaged for sliding lengthwise along the aligned arms of the V-shaped side portions, whereby four pairs of engaged relatively slideable arms are provided, an arm of each pair being bifurcated, the other arm of each pair having an end of I-shaped cross-section slideable between the bifurcations of the first arm of the pair, and means for adjustably holding said support member, V-shaped portions, and connecting bar in assembled relation.

LA TRELLE B. GLASSMEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,360,119 Gallagher Oct. 10, 1944 2,446,312 Usna Aug. 3, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country` Date 74,634 Germany Sept. 10, 1918 

